Roller bit



29, 1936. c Q D 2,065,743

ROLLER BIT Original Filed March 26, 1955 Sheets-Sheet l Glace]; ce EReed,

%QQWWWQ Dec. 29, 1936. c. E. REED 2,065,743

ROLLER BIT Original Filed March 26 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 CZ azyence EZReed,

g m pig Patented Dec. 29, 1936 PATENT OFFICE.

ROLLER BIT Clarence Reed, Wichita, Kans., assignor to Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of New Jersey Application March 26, 1935, Serial No. 13,146 Renewed November 11, 1936 12 Claims.

This invention relates to earth boring tools and more particularly to those having roller cutters on the under side of the bit head for cutting at the side of the bore hole.

In'earth boring tools of this type the cutter may be rotatably mounted upon a' separately formed support connected to the bit head. To permit ready assembly and disassembly of the tool in the field as forreplacement of a cutter, it is desirable that the cutter support be freely detachable from the bit head. An object of this invention is the provision of a connection between a cutter support and a bit head which is easily detachable and which is effective to sustain the loads imposed upon it.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation partly in axial section of a cutter, cutter support, and bit head assembly.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the tool of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the bit head alone.

' Fig. 4 is a view of Fig. 3 in axial section.

' Fig. 5 isa view of the under side of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view taken on the line l--[ of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is an elevation in section ofthe cutter supp rt.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the cutter support taken a quarter turn from Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the locking member.

Fig. ll'is a fragmentary elevation partly in 35 section of the locking member applied to a modiflcation of Fig. 1.

s Fig. 12 is a detail of the spindle member of Fig. 11.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to '10 inclusive, the bit head 20 having threads 2| for attachment to a drill stem (not shown) has formed on its exterior, pairs of spaced flanges 22 extending longitudinally of the bit head and projecting below the under side of the bit head. Between 45 each pair of flanges 22 is formed a recess 23 substantially rectangular in cross-section as best shown in Fig. 6 and the projection of the flanges 22 below the under side of the bit head forms a cutter recess 24. It will be observed that 50 between recesses 23 and 24 the underside of the bit head presents a downwardly facing surface 25. The inner surfaces 26 offlanges 22 defining cutter recess 24 are inclined upwardly toward the bit axis. The opposing faces of 55 flanges 22 have grooves 21 therein extending longitudinally of the flanges. Above flanges 22 the bit head presents a surface 28 which lies nearly in the plane of the inner sides of grooves 21 as is best shown in. Fig. 3.

Positioned within the recess 23 is a shank 5 portion 30 of a cutter support 3! having also a'body portion 32 lying below the bit head and facing inwardly toward cutter recess 24. Formed in the sides of theshank portion 30 are grooves 33 which register. with grooves 21. Within 10 these registering grooves are the limbs 34, 34' of a U-shaped locking member 35. The presence of this locking member in position effectively prevents lateral displacement of the cutter support from recess 23. It will be observed, 15 particularly from Fig. 10, that one of the limbs 34' is of tapered formation; this is to drive the shank portion firmly against a side wall of the recess 23 and to bind the locking member in place. To prevent complete displace- 20 ment of the locking member 35 in the event that it becomes loosened it is provided with a screw pin 36 which projects laterally therefrom into a depression 31 formed in the surface 28- All that is required to detachthe cutter an cutter support from the bit head is to back out screws 36 and and drive the locking member outwardly, after which the cutter support may be removed. In assembly the reverse of this procedure is followed.

The body portion 32 of the cutter support has a flanged enlargement 39 which bears against the inner faces 26 of flanges 22. Also, the body portion 32 bears against the surface 25 on the 35 under side of the bit head. These contacting surfaces between the cutter support and the bit head resist up-thrust of the cutter support during cutting. The engagement of flange 38 against the inner faces 26, in addition, resists 40 outward movement of the cutter support under working loads and thus relieves the locking member 35 of shearing stresses. To insure that the support 3| cannot drop away from the bit head as when the tool is being raised or lowered in the hole, the cutter support is provided with a screw pin 40 which projects into a depression 4| in the portion of the bit head .forming the inner face of recess 23.

As here shown, the cutter spindle is made up of two sections. One section is an annular extension 43 formed integrally with the cutter support and the other section is a portion of a spindle member 44 having a stem 45 secured within a bore 46 of the cutter support. The

cutter 41 is retained on the spindle by antifriction bearings 48 which are seated within a raceway of the cutter and bear against a flange 49 of the'spindle member 44. Anti-friction bearings 50 sustain radial loads upon the cutter. It will be noted that this cutter mounting arrangement in which a spindle portion and shank are integral is similar to that-disclosed in my copending application on an Earth boring drill, Serial No. 716,879, filed on March 22, 1934.

In the modification shown in Figs. 11 and 12 the entire spindle 5| is a separate piece and has a stem portion 52 which is secured into a bore in the cutter support 53. This particular cutter mounting arrangement is useful in connection with cylindrical side cutters as shown in my co-pending application on a Combineddisc and roller bit, Serial No. 706,989, filed on January 17, 1934. The cutter support 53 is retained in the bit head by means of the looking member already described.

What is claimed is:

1. In an earth boring tool the combination of a bit head having a cutter recess in its under side and a recess in its. outer side wall in communication with each other, said outer recess opening outwardly throughout its extent, a cutter support having a shank portion fitting within said outer recess andhaving a body portion facinginto said cutter recess, a cutter spindle projecting from said body portion into said cutter recess, a rotary cutter on said spindle, the exterior of said shank andthe side wall of said outer recess having, registering grooves and a locking member within said grooves holding the cutter support against lateral displacement from the outer recess.

'2. In anearth boring tool the combination of a, bit head having a pair of spaced flanges projecting laterally from its outer side wall and defining a recess therebetween, said recess opening outwardly throughout its extent, the opposing inner faces of said fian'ges having grooves extending longitudinally of the flanges, a cutter support havingashank portion fitting within the recess between the flanges and havinglabody portion extending'below the under side of the bit head, said shank portion having grooves therein registering with the grooves in said flanges, a cutter spindle projecting from said body portion inwardly of the bit head, a roller cutter on said spindle, and locking members within said grooves holding the cutter support against lateral displacement from said recess.

3. In an earth boring tool the combination of a bit head having a pair of spaced flanges projecting laterally from its outer side wall extending parallel with the bit head axis and defining a recess therebetweemsaid recess opening outwardly throughout its extent, said flanges extending below the under side of the bit head to provide a cutter recess on the under 'side of the bit head, the opposing inner faces of said flanges having grooves extending parallel with the axis of the bit head, a cutter support having a shank portion fitting within the recess between said flanges and having a body, portion facing into said cutter recess, a cutter spindle projecting from said body portion into said cutter recess and a roller cutter mounted thereon, said shank portion having grooves extending longitudinally thereof and registering with the grooves in said flanges, and locking members disposed within said grooves holding the cutter support against lateral displacement from the recess.

4. In an earth boring tool the combination of a bit head having a recess in its outer side wall extending longitudinally of the bit head to the under face of the bit head, said recess opening outwardly throughout its extent a cutter support having a shank portion fitting within said recess and a body portion projecting underneath the bit head and engaging with the under side thereof to limit upward movement of the cutter support, a spindle projecting from said body portion inwardly toward the bit head axis, and a cutter rotatably mounted on the spindle, the exterior of said shank portion and the side wall of said recess having registering grooves, and a locking member within said grooves holding the cutter support against lateral displacement from the recess.

5. An earth boring tool according to claim 4 and a retaining member held in place by the shank portion and extending between said shank portion and the bit head and holding the cutter support upwardly in the bit 6. In an earth boring tool the combination of a bit head having a recess in its outer side wall extending longitudinally of the bit head, said recess opening, outwardly throughout its extent, the side faces of said recess having grooves there'- in parallel with the bit head axis, and the inner face of said recess having a depression therein, a cutter support having a shank portion fitting within said recess and having a body portion projecting below the under side of the bit head. a spindle projecting from said body portion inwardly of the bit head, a cutter rotatably mounted on the spindle, the exterior of said shank having grooves registering with said grooves in the side faces of the recess, a locking member in said grooves holding the cutter support against lateral displacement from the recess, and a locking pin carried by the shank portion and extending into sliding relation with said depression to limit endwise movementof the cutter support.

7. An earth boring tool according to claim 3 in which the body portion of said cutter support has a flanged enlargement engaging with the inner faces of the portions of said flanges extending .below the bit head to relieve said locking member of shear stresses.

8. The hereindescribed support for a roller cutter of an earth boring drill comprising a spindle, a body portion carrying said spindle, and a shank extending from said body portion at an angle to the spindle, said shank having longitudinally extending grooves in its opposite sides, substantially as described.

9. A support for a roller cutter of an earth boring drill, comprising a spindle, a body portion carrying said spindle, a flange on said body portion, extending from said body portion in a plane at a right angle to the spindle axis, and a shank extending at an angle to the axis of the spindle, said shank having longitudinally extending grooves in its sides, substantially. as described.

10. In deep well drilling apparatus a supporting body having an exterior recess opening laterally throughout its extent, a member fitting in said recess for holding a rotary cutter in operating relationto said supporting body, said member having grooves in its opposite faces, and the v walls of said recess having grooves therein complementary to the grooves in said member, and a key located in said grooves for holding said mem- 7s her in place, said supporting body having a depression therein, and a safety element projecting from said member into sliding relation with said depression.

11. In combination in an earth boring tool, a bit head having a cutter receiving recess in its under side defined by outwardly and downwardly inclined walls, and having also recesses in its outer side communicating with the recess first mentioned and extending above the same, with a downwardly facing shoulder lying between said recesses, and a cutter support comprising a body portion having a flange fitting against the said inclined wall, and a shoulder fitting said downwardly facing shoulder, a spindle projecting downwardly and inwardly towards the vertical CLARENCE E. 

